26 Sep HOW TO PROTECT OURSELVES FROM THE WEATHER | ANTI-HURRICANE GLASS
In some areas where there are lots of hurricanes and tornados, the construction of anti-hurricane houses are necessary for the security. There are many different options for the construction of resistant houses which a Miami Modern Architect should know. Today in our post we will talk about anti-hurricane glass.
HURRICANES, TYPHOONS AND TORNADOS
First, we have to talk about the differences between hurricane, typhoon and tornado.
A TROPICAL CYCLONE is a system of torments with spiral rains which start in tropical or subtropical waters. When a tropical cyclone happens in the North Atlantic Ocean, in the Caribbean Sea, in the north of the East Pacific and in the Mexican Gulf is called HURRICANE. On the other hand, when it happens in the West Pacific or in the Indian Ocean is called TYPHOON.
There is a scale, called Saffir-Simpson, which establishes five categories of HURRICANE:
- Category 1. Wind of 118-153 km/hour. It damages power lines and vegetation.
- Category 2. Wind of 154-177 km/hour. People who live in ground coast areas are evacuated.
- Category 3. Wind of 178-209 km/hour. Damages are appreciable and people who live in coast areas are evacuated.
- Category 4. Wind of 210-250 km/hour. Damages are extremes. People who live in an area of 500 meters from the coast and 3 kilometers in ground areas are evacuated.
- Category 5. Wind of more than 250 km/hour. Damages are catastrophic and cities are evacuated.
A TORNADO is a violent whirlwind with a diameter littler than a hurricane or typhoon but it can have wind of 400 km/hour. The wind changes its direction erratically so it can damage a lot. They are very typical in the big plains of North America.
ANTI-HURRICANE GLASS
Normal windows are very easy to be destroyed and the pieces of glass can be very dangerous. That is why is very important to build windows and doors with anti-hurricane materials. Besides, nowadays in Miami these kind of anti-hurricane constructions are obligatory because the actual tendency so every Miami Architect Housing have to know these materials.
An anti-hurricane glass is a glass which can resist more than 250 kilometers per hour without be broken (hurricanes of category 5), which can resist impacts of objects and which if it is fractured it can resist without be broken. Those glasses are used for windows, roofs, gardens, stairs…
Anti-hurricane glasses are made in different thickness between 1,5 mm and 20 mm. It is made by joining two glass sheets with a sheet of high resistance (polivinilbitural). Butiral of polyvinyl is the result of mixing alcohol of polyvinyl with butiraldehido and it has a great adherence and resistance. The main maker of this material are in Missouri (USA), Frankfurt (Germany), Delaware (USA) and Kyoto (Japan).
It is very adherence so if something broke the glass, the pieces do not scatter.
It is similar to the normal glass and it does not need special maintenance.
It has to be used with special structure too because an anti-hurricane glass without an anti-hurricane structure…it is useless. That is why a Miami Architect has to know a lot of anti-hurricanes materials for building a secure house.
For more information, contact Joaquín Fernández.
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